Namaste...to use it or not?
Around 2020, a broader conversation emerged about the use of “Namaste” in Western yoga culture. Some South Asians living in the West expressed discomfort with the way the word was often being used by Western yoga teachers—feeling that it was sometimes inaccurately represented, overly mystified, or disconnected from its cultural context and everyday meaning.
When I first encountered this conversation, I was in the midst of an intensive program called Honor, Don’t Appropriate Yoga, led by approximately 40 powerful women of color.
As I do whenever I encounter something I need clarity about related to yoga, I reached out to my teachers: Swami Omkarananda and Jayakumar Swamysree (always ask your teacher). They both said, essentially, “It’s no problem, can be used at the beginning or end.”
I came back to the group with this perspective, and the group leader responded, “If you can reduce harm, why not just choose another word? There are many great Sanskrit words.”
This was both an eye- and heart-opener for me.
Why was I so attached to “Namaste”?
I grieved the loss of that ritual for a while. I began using it more intentionally, sometimes at the beginning of class instead of the end.
Over time, I have come to understand a few things more clearly:
In many Indian cultural contexts, Namaste functions primarily as a respectful greeting rather than a goodbye. Using it as a closing phrase at the end of yoga class is more common in Western yoga culture than in everyday Indian social interactions.
Many yoga lineages also do not traditionally end class with “Namaste.” A practice may instead close with chanting, silence, puja, prayer, meditation, or other Sanskrit phrases.
I have also come to understand that many Western teachers—including well-intentioned ones—have sometimes translated or explained the word inaccurately, often turning it into something more abstract, mystical, or romanticized than its more direct meaning.
The Sanskrit word namaste translates most directly to:“I bow to you” or “bowing to you.” It is made up of two parts:
Namaḥ — bow, adoration, reverence, obeisance
Te — to you
And for some people, especially those connected to the cultures and traditions the word comes from, it can feel uncomfortable or disorienting to hear it repeatedly translated in ways that differ from its more direct meaning and cultural usage.
At the same time, perspectives on this vary widely. Some South Asians and traditional teachers feel completely comfortable with the use of Namaste in yoga spaces when it is used sincerely and respectfully. Others prefer not to use it at all in Western yoga contexts.
That diversity of perspective also taught me something important.
Yoga asks us to stay in inquiry rather than certainty.
In 2024, when my teacher Swami Omkarananda was visiting, I sat down with him to have a deeper discussion on this topic. He felt very strongly that the use of the word "Namaste" in a yoga class was not only acceptable, it was desired. He felt that the perspective that it has been used casually as a greeting should not keep us from honoring its deeper expression as a respectful and reverent way to greet or leave someone. If you are truly bowing to the receiver (including your own heart), use it. With reverence, honor, and respect. Essentially, he was teaching me that we want to honor the true meaning of this Sanskrit word.
When I use “Namaste” now, I try to do so consciously and sparingly, with an understanding of its direct translation and cultural roots. If I say it at the end of class, I mean it sincerely:
I bow to you. I honor you. I hold reverence for you.
And I also deeply respect the teachers and practitioners who choose not to use it at all.
Namaste is a greeting associated with yoga and Hindu traditions. It is commonly used in India and Nepal among Hindus, Jains, Buddhists, and others as a respectful greeting.
This is a thoughtful article exploring some of the complexity and differing perspectives around the use of Namaste in Western yoga culture:
